Remaking Downtown Brooklyn and the Williamsburg waterfront

As president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Myer is now helping promote commercial development in the area.

Regina Myer played a leading role in two major developments that helped transform Brooklyn during the past 15 years: the rezonings of Downtown Brooklyn and the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfront, and the construction of 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Named president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in September, Myer is now promoting the area’s commercial development, which has just started to take off with projects including a creative office hub being built atop the Fulton Street Macy’s and a former self-storage facility converted into offices.

What is the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership?

We’re an alliance of leading downtown businesses, as well as the manager of three business improvement districts. Taken together, we are the top not-for-profit in the area. Our mission is to create a safe and beautiful downtown and advocate for dynamic growth.

What do you want to accomplish?

We are working on two specific park projects that should make a difference: BAM Park on Lafayette Avenue and Willoughby Square between Gold and Duffield streets. There’s also the concept of the Brooklyn Strand, which began with the partnership’s former president, Tucker Reed. We have this fantastic street system that hasn’t reached its full potential. We can change the landscape in terms of open space, pedestrian activity and connectivity between Downtown Brooklyn and the Navy Yard. I’m also excited about New York University’s expansion in the MetroTech area.

Will the private sector pay for most of these changes?

Some of this is about business partnerships, but big moves like increasing open space take government resources, and I certainly am poised to advocate for that.

Regina Meyer

WHO SHE IS President, Downtown Brooklyn PartnershipAGE 57BORN ManhattanRESIDES Park Slope, BrooklynEDUCATION B.A. in arts and ideas and M.A. in urban planning, University of MichiganRELATED MATTER In a former role as vice president of Hudson Yards Development Corp., Myer helped plan the massive project being built by the Related Cos. on Man- hattan’s West Side.WHEEL NEW YORKER Myer has pedaled the 40-mile TD Five Boro Bike Tour each of the past eight years with family and friends, completing the most recent course in May. TOUR OF DUTY Myer sits on the board of NYC & Company, the city’s official tourism agency, which has been steering visitors toward Brooklyn. She is also a fellow at the Urban Design Forum and said she will soon be named to the board of the American Institute of Architects’ New York Chapter.

In terms of zoning, projects like mixed-use towers from Alloy Development will need approvals, so we are strongly advocating for those as well, especially since many of them will include investments in public infrastructure.

Why are we seeing new office projects in Downtown Brooklyn only now, more than 12 years after the rezoning?

We saw a lot of residential growth first, and over time the world changed. Jobs no longer need to be tied to a trading floor or a law firm office. In 2004 the Flatiron District and West Chelsea weren’t the job growth centers that they certainly are now. There are a number of really important players that see tremendous opportunity in Downtown Brooklyn today, including Tishman Speyer and the Kushner Cos. All of these projects have commercial components, which is key to Downtown Brooklyn’s mixed-use success.

There are also major residential projects moving forward. What do you think of JDS Development’s proposal to build the borough’s tallest tower?

Number one, it’s incredibly handsome. SHoP Architects’ design is really inspirational. JDS and a number of developers have come to realize the strength of the new Flatbush Avenue spine. Remember, most of our train lines run beneath Flatbush: You have the 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q and R trains. All of those connect to various sections of lower Manhattan and up to Union Square and beyond.

What are your thoughts on restaurant development?

I would love to see the landmarked Gage and Tollner building [a former steakhouse] return to sit-down food use, as it was for about a century before it fell into the hands of Arby’s and others. There are a lot of good fast-casual places that have opened up in the past few years, but we can’t wait to see some more great places for people to hang out after work.

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